Monday, 21 April 2014

Islam's Rule-Fixation & the Status of Paedophilia

Sharia law, or Islam itself, is largely a system of rules
and regulations which you must obey if you are to be a Muslim.

There is a problem with this rule-fixation in Islam. Abdul
Wahid Hamid says that the “basic principles in Islam is that every act or transaction
is allowed unless it is prohibited”. This means that if necrophilia, or pedophilia,
etc. is not explicitly ‘prohibited’ in the Koran, the Sunnah and the hadith,
then it is ‘allowed’. So what if they aren’t explicitly prohibited? Then they
are allowed.

This is not a problem for Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and
Judaism because there have been traditions in these religions which have elaborated
and extended their doctrines and rules. Muslims, on the other hand, explicitly
state that this is not the case with Islam. Muslims say that "it’s all there
in the Koran" – "the unalterable and complete word of Allah". The hadith and the
Sunnah simply apply such rules in the Koran to the things which were already specified
by the actions, words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad. In essence, though,
Muslims still claim that it’s all there in the Koran. (This is the source of
the criticism of Christianity, etc. by Muslims – such religions have traditions
and theologies; not a single source of Truth, as with Islam.) Or, as Hamid puts
it:

“The Qur’an has been preserved just as it was revealed. It
will continue to be the human being’s only source of authentic guidance to
truth and his abiding link with Reality.”

So what, again, if there are no condemnations of pedophilia,
drug-pushing and the like? That which "is not prohibited is allowed". Or, in
other words, it may be the case that pedophilia or drug-pushing are not haraam (prohibited) in Islam after all.

This rule-bound nature of Islam is very clear. For example,
all Muslims are required to perform Salaat or prayer. Why? Because Muhammad
once said, "Pray as you see me praying." Not only that. Hamid says that there "can be no addition to or subtraction from the manner of performing the Prayer"
(48).

Muhammad also said: "Take from me your rites in performing
the pilgrimage." And, again, Hamid says that "pilgrimage must therefore be
performed as he did it with only the variations and allowances he permitted"
(48). No addition and no subtraction.

Salafists, and many other Muslims, also sleep on their left
sides because Muhammad slept on his left side.

Why are Muslims scared of dogs? (Actually, not actually
scared, more dismissive.) Because Muhammad, so I have been told, did not like
dogs. Why do Muslims where pajamas in modern-day Birmingham or Bradford?
Because that’s what Mohamed wore. What about beards? Ditto.

What about Ijtihad when it comes to these rules? Ijtihad
is "the use of individual reason and judgment" which Muslims are allowed to
practice. For a start, millions upon millions of Muslims reject the very notion
of Ijtihad, vis-à-vis Islam itself, completely. The other thing is that Ijtihad
is only applied to areas of politics, morality, religion, custom, etc. which
are not strictly dealt with in the Koran. So it isn’t applied to Islam-based
rules. In addition to that problem, it can only be applied to "local laws and customs"
which "are not in conflict with the Qur’an and the Sunnah" (50). This must severely
limit the practice of Ijtihad even when
presuming an individual Muslim accepts it in the first place.

To finish: can it be applied to pedophilia? Only if such a thing
doesn’t conflict with the Koran. If it doesn’t conflict, then Ijtihad can be applied. This will depend on whether or
not Muslims accept Ijtihad and also on whether such things really do conflict
with the Koran. If they do, then Ijtihad cannot be applied to such things. What
about drug-pushing? If it's not prohibited by the Koran, it can be practiced.
If it is prohibited, Ijtihad cannot be
applied to drug-pushing. But what if it is accepted (indirectly) in the Koran –
as a new form of jihad against unbelievers? Then it cannot be applied to
drug-pushing.

All this has, of course, completely disregarded the equally
problematic converse of all this:

Every act or transaction is allowed if it is accepted or
extolled in the Koran.

This means that slavery, pedophilia, multiple wives, violent
jihad, etc. are allowed because such things are accepted and /or extolled in
the Koran. The point is:Can the use of Ijtihad alter these Islamic realities
in any way?

*) Unbelievably, one category of what is halaal, mustahabb,
is those things which are recommend in the Sunnah. It is recommended that
Muslims smile "at [their] fellow Muslims". (Yes, Islamic virtue, from charity
to peace, is only aimed at "fellow Muslims".) In addition… and this is a
cracker, there is a recommendation to "use the toothbrush regularly".

Finally, there is also a recommendation to part your hair
from left to right, rather than vice versa (i.e., if you’re a Muslim man).
Actually, that’s a joke recommendation. But I hope you got the message.